For 25-year-old Thasmiya Banu, restrictions were a way of life. She couldn’t go out of the house freely or do something on her own. She has studied till PUC, and she could get a job. But Thasniya didn’t even have the courage to ask her husband and the family if she could do a job. A mother of two who stayed at home, that was Thasmiya. But that is the past.
Today Thasmiya is a woman with a job at a local community development project called SKRDP. As part of her job, she regularly interacts with women of the village to help them get loans to start small businesses. She takes the local bus to visit village women, helps them fill forms and get support for their new initiatives. She is also a Buzz Anchor woman (Buzz Gelathi) who inspires other women of her village to solve their problems and bring about a change in their lives.
From a docile homemaker to an independent community worker, Thasmiya transformed her life within just two years of completing the Buzz training. For any woman from her community to bring about a change in their life and stand up for herself is no ordinary achievement. Thasmiya made that happen.
Each one of these achievements are hard won. When Thasmiya was chosen as the Buzz Anchor woman after her training in January 2022, her husband objected. It took a lot of convincing from her side as well as the Buzz Facilitator to allow her to take up the responsibility. Thasmiya must constantly work to push the boundaries that are drawn to restrict her. It’s not just the husband or the family that she needs to convince, she must delicately handle the community too.
“People laughed at me when I wanted to go out and work, but now they want to be like me. They call me and ask how they can also get a job like how she did. They ask me how I changed my life and become independent”, says Thasmiya.
Thasmiya’s husband now understands her aspirations and that her capabilities shouldn’t go to waste. More than anyone else, Thasmiya’s mother is immensely happy about how her daughter took charge of her life. Now Thasmiya wants to ensure that her children get educated and can lead a life of their choice.
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